1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automated traffic controls, and particularly to a traffic safety system that provides an automated system for ensuring traffic safety and control without human intervention.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traffic safety has become an urgent need and key goal that many countries are trying to achieve after they have realized the risk of human casualties and economic losses they are suffering because of traffic accidents, which have become a problem in most of developed and developing countries. Statistics we occasionally get from the traffic administration are catastrophic. The numbers of dead, injured people, and damaged cars are alarming, and call for the necessity to stop the continuous bleeding of casualties resulting from the lack of safe driving restraints and the consequences of not abiding to them, such as speeding, reckless driving, not wearing seatbelts, passing red lights, and other violations of traffic regulations. All these are mistakes that lead to tragedies and grief, which have negative effects on the families and community. There are root causes for traffic accidents for all road users, whether private or public transportation is utilized.
Car accidents considered today are a frightening specter that terrorizes people. Moreover, these accidents threaten the safety of surrounding lives. We see in monthly statistics that numbers tend to increase over the years because of weak preventive measures and traffic chaos.
Traffic chaos has become the special feature of our daily lives. Lack of traffic awareness for most drivers in general is a major reason. The reasons for these accidents, at least the most important ones, are as follows. Misbehavior of road users, whether a driver or a pedestrian, is one reason. This mistake is caused by the lack of good orientation of the driver as for the conduct and technical aspects to control the vehicle, and how to deal with a variety of road users. The road is the second reason for accidents. When a road has no traffic safety requirements, safe passage for the road users day and night, and in all weather conditions is a major factor in making accidents.
The third reason is the vehicle itself, when a driver does not check his vehicle to make ensure the safety and validity of all of its components, especially those related to safety, such as brakes, wheels, lights and windshield wipers. This specifically applies to long distance trips and to desolate areas.
Thus, it becomes necessary to avoid these deadly mistakes and protect innocent lives, which have been lost without any fault or crime on their part, all because of carelessness and recklessness of some people to the lives of others that have the right to share the road.
Therefore, the vehicle should be technically ready and contain all safety requirements as the vehicle is considered the third cause of accidents as to importance in traffic accidents. It is very important for vehicles, no matter what they are, to be equipped with all technical specifications that enable it to use the roads and to achieve all safety requirements to protect passengers and all pedestrians on the road.
It is important when renewing the yearly car registration license to thoroughly check them not only formally, but to make sure these specifications are provided and not to grant these permits until all damages have been fixed. It is also important to watch vehicles on the roads and detain all vehicles working in violation to these conditions. Car inspections should be comprehensive and not partial (engine! brakes! wipers! wheels! seatbelt, etc.). Citizens should get used to abide by these instructions individually and willingly.
When looking into traffic accidents and their causes, one should look into what is a traffic accident starting with the definition: “Every event resulting in a death, injury or loss of properties without prior intention and caused by vehicles or their content while moving, including fire accidents during the vehicle's movement on the public road”.
In order to consider a traffic accident is really an accident, the following elements should be available. The damage: it could be financial such as losses in properties, whether public or private. It could also be physical such as all kinds of human injuries or deaths, whether a death directly after the accident or after some time without specification. The vehicle: and it means here the vehicle as driver, passengers and load. Unintentional action that is very important because otherwise it would mean committing a crime. Vehicle's movement when moving on the public road, it means that a car should be rolling on the main road because if the accident happens in a private place or while being stopped then it would become a criminal act and not a traffic accident. In case of a tree falling on an unmoving vehicle, then it is a fate. However, if the accident is between a vehicle in motion and another one that stopped, then it is definitely a traffic accident because one car is in motion.
Elements and types of the traffic accident: Every traffic accident contains the following three elements: Human, it includes the driver, passenger and pedestrian. Road, which is every place made for movement of vehicles, pedestrians or animals. Vehicle, it is the most important element of the traffic accident.
With regard to types of accidents, there are several classifications according to the country. Accidents are classified as follows: Collision accidents, between a vehicle and another, and hit accidents, between a vehicle and a fixed body. Exemplary reckless accidents are overturning of a vehicle due to tire explosions. Exemplary run over accidents include two types, e.g., of collision with human or collision with animal. Downfall accidents include the falling of a vehicle in the water. Fire accidents include the burning of the vehicle due to negligence of safety and security factors.
There are other types of accidents such as the serious accidents, which lead usually to death or severe bodily injuries in addition to the financial losses, the medium accidents, which result in injuries, and the small accidents, which do not result in human injuries, and where material losses are nearly non-existing. Causes of the traffic accidents include speeding, the main cause of traffic accidents leading to death of many people. Speeding may not be the only direct cause but high speed is one the factors that accelerate the incident and increase its severity. Negligence and carelessness, such as drivers being occupied while driving vehicles whether by the radio, the A/C, talking with passengers or using the mobile, or driving the vehicle carelessly and recklessly.
Drunkenness and drinking alcoholic or some drugs and medicine that leads to drowsiness. Violating the traffic rules and disrespecting the traffic laws and the instructions also lead to trouble on the roadway.
Lack of awareness with some people and their ignorance of traffic laws cause many accidents. Lack of durability and safety conditions in the vehicle are also factors. Not making a full stop upon exiting from the sub-street is culpable conduct. Non-existence of back signals in some vehicles, especially the old ones is also problematic. Driving some vehicles without holding a driver's license by under aged people, especially sons of senior officials and VIP as well as driving the vehicles by old people are causative of roadway problems. Wrong passing and changing lanes from one to another course in order to pass a slow vehicle, and love of adventure and drawing attention are also problematic behaviours.
It has been proved that traffic accident's factors are three; human, vehicle and road. Thus, any mistake, defect or miss judgment are most probably followed by a traffic accident. Researchers in traffic science agree that traffic accidents result from the three factors mentioned above (human, vehicle, and road) in addition to weather conditions and the surrounding environment.
The human factor is considered the main reason for traffic accidents as it was revealed that about 75-85% of accidents are caused by drivers, 8-10% cause by roads and 5-8% caused by vehicles themselves. Human is considered the first responsible for traffic accidents even if the cause was attributed to the vehicle or the road, since the driver's negligence and delinquency are the cause of the vehicle's failure resulting in the traffic accident and he is also the one responsible for the road's condition. Thus, the human element's responsibility has risen in theory to more than 95%. I will talk about this element in detail. The reasons related to the human factor include the driver, pedestrians and the passenger.
The driver is considered the main cause of accidents. He assumes the biggest responsibility of accidents because of mistakes he makes while driving. Some are direct causes where he could control them, such as violating traffic laws and regulations; others are indirect and hard to control, such as mental, health and social state, although it is recommended not to drive in these conditions. Among mistakes committed by drivers while driving are non-compliance to traffic laws and regulations while driving on roads. Excess speed, is one of the main causes of accidents resulting in severe damages.
Not leaving enough distance between the vehicles forms the highest percentage of the total causes of accidents. Not abiding to traffic lanes, driving in reverse, wrong over passing, and driving against the traffic are also major accident causes. Recklessness and inattention are due to driver's lack of concentration while driving the vehicle on the road (distraction) or diverting his attention to other things not related to driving such as looking at something or talking with someone while driving which may lead at the end to an inappropriate decision at an unfortunate moment. Thus, his reaction may come late or slow that will lead to the accident. For example, when a vehicle enters a roundabout with another vehicle in front of him, the driver's attention will be on the vehicles entering the roundabout from the left side, so he may collide with the vehicle in front of him that did not move. There are many other examples such as looking at one side while driving in a heavy traffic road and speed is very slow. In this case, any mental distraction or looking at the wrong side will definitely lead to an accident. In general, this type of accident represents a great percentage of the total accidents made in countries.
Failing to yield is also among important reasons that lead to accidents. Not making sure that the street is clear is due to two things: either the driver is distracted and busy and did not take the necessary precautions when entering a street or it is due to incompetence and lack of driving experience. It is important to mention that driver's mental distraction is usually due to tiredness and exhaustion because of long working hours, or driver's family, social and mental problems.
Misjudgment, due to driver's inexperience, incompetence and lack of traffic awareness, is among the reasons that cause a traffic accident that is most of the times catastrophic. All these reasons form the majority of the mistakes that have been done by the driver and that definitely cause accidents, injuries and deaths. This categorization made to the driver's mistakes is negotiable because the causes could be at the same time violating the traffic law and a misjudgment and recklessness from the driver. For example, driving in reverse is one of the reasons for a traffic accident; it could be a violation by the traffic law when going backward recklessly and it could be legal, but done without much attention.
Pedestrians are considered to be one of the main factors in accidents, especially run over accidents. Pedestrians make many mistakes resulting in traffic accidents such as: .Not abiding to areas specific for pedestrians, and not crossing the red light for pedestrians.
.Not using sidewalks, sometimes is not their mistake for many reasons such as piling sidewalks with products for sale, using sidewalks by owners of a mechanical workshop especially in industrial areas, lack of sidewalks or unpaved, sandy sidewalks. In these cases, pedestrians prefer to walk on the street and the responsibility is then on the competent authority.
Regarding lack of traffic awareness for pedestrians especially children; we should mention here that the driver is also responsible even indirectly for accidents made because a pedestrians' mistakes. When talking about children's mistakes, driver's responsibility becomes direct, as he should be aware of what is going on around him on roads and sidewalks and he should expect these mistakes. For example, the driver may notice a child playing with a ball on the sidewalk, thus he should slow down and take precautions, since the ball may escape from the boy's hands and go on the street and the boy may follow it without thinking of a passing car and the coming threat.
Among mistakes done by passengers we cite the following: Leaving the car in a wrong way; riding in open vehicles or the ones designed for products transportation in a wrong way; and distracting the driver's mind while driving.
Opening car's door in a wrong way is a mistake that can be done by both the driver and the passenger. This mistake has been considered in this category because the driver is usually more careful getting out of the vehicle than the passenger is.
The vehicle has an important role in preserving the road's safety. Therefore, many car companies make sure to invent cars serving the drivers in a safer way. Technical failure of a vehicle is an important factor in accidents and threats in general. Condition of the wheels, lights, brakes, and windshield wipers usually cause a catastrophe if one fails while driving.
The driver is usually the main responsible factor for accidents resulting of vehicle failure because of carelessness in taking care of the vehicle and regularly checking it.
Another important factor in accidents is the road itself. Many reasons cause accidents because of road conditions such as engineering defects in designing and executing the road.
Holes and air pockets. unpaved and unorganized roads despite the heavy traffic movement on them are a factor. Obstacles or strange objects on the street are also a contributor to accidents. Maintenance works and activities are another factor. Road types and its surrounding have an important effect in protecting road users especially if black dots are identified as the areas with the most traffic accidents. Engineering road design plays an important role in limiting road accidents, through the specifications of the path's width (group) and the road's shoulder width and type and the effect of crossroads on the street. Streets change, therefore the driver has to adjust with it according to its situations, which requires continuous attention; as the road is once straight, zigzag, or slippery, etc. Accidents also are frequent on highways as some drivers find it a great pleasure going over speed.
Weather factors cause yearly many accidents, human and financial losses. These factors are wind, sand storms, fog, frost rain and floods in winter with landslide resulting from them. Accidents occurred in rough roads are more than those in the flat lands. Accidents during rain, snow fog and dust are more than accident happening in normal conditions. Therefore, we find that in many countries weather forecast departments give daily guidance to drivers regarding travel on external roads outside the cities. Sometimes, we find that negligence of traffic officers is also a cause in accidents if he leaves his duty, in addition to lack or nonexistence of traffic lights on the outside roads.
There are also other traffic accidents such as collision and turnovers as a car might face on a road different cases and threats. Therefore, driver should be aware on how to react in these conditions. In addition, understanding the obstacle's nature helps in avoiding it.
Knowledge and culture are the most important aspects that affect the human and his cleverness. Cleverness is sometimes known as being able to act wisely, and at other times as the ability of understanding, intuition and concentration. Cleverness is related to traffic accidents as well, because if an individual could not act safely especially in surprise situations such as rush hours or traffic jams, in occasions, visits and others, he will directly and indirectly cause catastrophic, middle and simple accidents.
I find that safe and correct driving of vehicles will be achieved through a good understanding of traffic laws and regulations and applying them when confronting threats in a continuous correct way. Developing technical abilities that help avoiding awkward situations lead as well to a safe and civilized driving. Following good manners in driving protects humans from danger on the roads.
These manners should become an integral part of every driver's nature and not separate from driver's other personal characteristics and tendencies. Although automobile is a comfort tool, it has also become a curse since accidents have increased greatly with the increasing numbers of cars. The number of traffic accident victims has become much bigger than the number of victims caused by other causes.
Talking about traffic laws' establishment, which was derived from sources might explain the need for a new paradigm in traffic safety management.
With the car's invention, many problems have emerged especially traffic accidents related to car usage and driving on the main roads, in addition to environmental pollution caused by car's exhaust system which contains the odorless carbon dioxide but when concentrated enough becomes lethal and that carbon dioxide can cause suffocation.
It was necessary to find legal and regulative solutions to protect the community from these problems. Thus, the need to find laws and regulations had emerged to insure the protection of individuals and the community from accidents and problems of using cars. Thus, traffic laws and regulations appeared aiming at protecting lives and properties from this iron machine driven by humans in roads and streets in front or between other humans. These laws guarantee to the community that this machine will be in good condition to run and that the person driving it is highly qualified, knows the driving, and traffic laws. They will also insure that roads are in good condition to be use by cars, pedestrians and other users. These are the traffic laws and regulations that the car's invention was the cause for their existence in order to arrive to the goal mentioned before. Within this context, we should mention that the first car accident in the world took place in 1769 when the steam vehicle, created by the French (Nicolas Kand) crashed on a curve and was running at almost 3 miles an hour.
Noting also that one of the oldest traffic laws that were presented in the world to organize traffic was the law issued in Britain on 1865 under the name of vehicles law, which put a speed limit to all cars by 4 miles an hour in open roads and 2 miles an hour in internal roads in cities and villages.
This law also obliged cars to assign a person holding a red flag to walk in front of the vehicle at daytime and a lantern giving a red light at night to warn pedestrians of vehicle's approach. In 1868, it was not necessary to use the flag or the lantern in front of cars on the roads but the flag holder and lantern were still necessary according to the law until 1896.
Among obligations included in vehicle's law issued in Britain in 1865, was the imposition of a fine called road tax on steam vehicles. It was always increasing to limit the use of vehicles to prevent any accidents.
Since then, the issuance of traffic laws and regulations has been presented in different countries of the world to organize traffic. They developed as the communities developed. Noting that with each development and increase of population in a community, the traffic of cars and other vehicles have increased and developed as well. This required developing traffic regulations in order to circulate the traffic and limit tension and jams caused by the huge and increasing number of vehicles every year and the increased numbers of traffic accidents expected to happen because of that.
The traffic law means a package of legal regulations issued by the specialized legislation authorities in a country to regulate and control the use of roads by pedestrians and cars in order to facilitate and simplify this use and preserve lives and properties.
The executive authority to explain and show the total or unclear regulations mentioned in the law usually issues traffic regulations and instructions. Traffic regulation is important, since it is part of everyone's life in the community without exception, as everyone uses the road whether as a pedestrian, driver or passenger in a car. The uses are repeated many times a day, which makes the traffic problem public, private and permanent. Directly or indirectly, everyone is thinking of it. Therefore, many studies have emerged aiming at circulating traffic so that everybody is able to get to work and back home and do their activities rapidly and smoothly without complications or wasting time and human and financial resources.
It is not limited to issuing laws, regulations and instructions to organize traffic, as mentioned in legal and traffic studies, but supporting studies and applications, have emerged aiming at aiding in solving traffic problems that as aforementioned are increasing and becoming more complex. These studies and applications were done using engineering science and administration studies, statistics, calculations and operational researches.
As a result, new studies and applications emerged in the field of traffic, especially traffic, road and car engineers, traffic statistics and calculation, and traffic operations, techniques and administration.
There is also an increase of using computers in traffic services. Using computers, traffic lights are programmed and operated. Computers are also used in traffic statistics based on gathering information about drivers, cars, accidents and traffic problems and analyzing them to know the reasons for accidents, eliminate them, and decrease their numbers.
The use of computers in operations rooms of the police departments occurs in different countries in which traffic controlling is required in a specific city or region. Officers are then being oriented to the traffic jam regions to do what is necessary in order to loosen the traffic.
Another common use of computer is gathering data related to traffic. It is data about drivers, driving licenses, vehicles permits and accidents their type, cause and consequences, and specifications, ages and nationalities of those who caused them, in addition to other information that would help to organize and operate the traffic and guarantee the safety of driving in the state.
Another common use of the computer is operating the operation room such as the one used to operate, coordinate and control the police and safety activities including traffic all day long. The importance of computers in traffic departments can be manifested at its best if we know the amount of traffic data gathered by police in the operations room. The responsibility of this room is to answer all the questions of police on patrols related to traffic such as the following: possibility to search for a driving permit by using the person's name, ID number or a file number; searching for a specific vehicle by identifying its tag number; date of registered and deported vehicles; details of unpaid tickets; and details of paid tickets. These operation facilities search for a part of individual's name, searching for a part of companies' name, keeping vehicle plates, etc.
It is important to answer these questions, especially, during an accident, or violating the traffic law. It immediately helps investigating the accident, identifying the car, or whoever was involved in that accident, also, to finalize the procedures. This would achieve traffic discipline, thus achieving on one hand traffic smoothness and on the other hand cleaning or evacuating the road from the car(s) involved in the accident, ensuring the road safety and ability to pass on it.
We should mention here the electronic photo and radar equipments used to capture violations done by those not abiding to the speed limit, or who pass red light in order to limit traffic accidents that hinder the traffic, decrease the ability to operate it, in addition its affect on the community with human and financial losses.
Awareness should be raised among the new generations to abide to traffic laws and manners. There are many aspects and ways to avoid traffic accidents, some are administrative and others technological. However, it is clear that the human factor is the main cause of the problem. The problem of the entire world nowadays is the driver, as he is the cause of traffic problems. His responsibility as human is the first element in decreasing accidents once he abides to traffic manners and directions.
Driving Safe and correct can be achieved through the clear understanding of traffic laws, regulations and implementing them at critical times in a correct manner. Improving technical skills of a driver may enable him to avoid these critical situations, which will lead at the end to safe driving.
Using the right manners while driving shall prevent all threats that a driver may face on the roads. These manners must always be part of his nature and should not be separate from his character.
In many circumstances, we may have noticed that some drivers exceed speeding limits on roads deliberately, for example, if we examine main roads, either they are 2 or 3 lanes, each lane is set for specific speed, therefore drivers must drive in a lane appropriate to their speed. Slow drivers must stay on the right lane to keep the traffic smooth, average speed drivers may stay in the middle lane, where he can pass other vehicles without exceeding the speed limit. Drivers going the speed limit or in a hurry, may stay on the left lane and be accounted for the consequences.
I may indicate here that safe driving may help in reducing the emission of polluting gases to the environment. Vehicles and other tools of transportation are the major cause of environmental pollution.
Studies have revealed that global warming in our world today has affirmed that an optimized method of driving vehicles may help in reducing car emission. Scientists think that fuel efficient cars and efficient methods of driving may help in the future to reduce gas emissions, which have been identified as the major cause of global climate change.
Scientists affirm that drivers may help in preventing these gas emissions through changing the way they drive their vehicles. Many reports state that means of transportation are accounting for 14% gas emission, and the share of cars and small trucks is about 45% of the total 14%. Counties that have signed the Kyoto treaty (convention) have stressed on putting more pressure on automobile manufacturers to make environmental friendly cars.
Drivers should abide by traffic regulations as a means for improving the environment. Neglecting these regulations will not only make drivers face legal accountability, but it will endanger their lives and the lives of others.
Driving the vehicle positively and slowly requires continuous planning and making the right decisions at the right time by applying these decisions carefully and attentively as there is no place on the road to a maneuver based on doubt and hesitation. If the maneuver is not completely safe, the driver should not do it at all.
Traditionally, vehicles speak through the use of their horn or using the light, and by the way the vehicle moves on the road. With today's crowded roads, the traditional means for anticipating a driver's intentions may be outdated.
There is an unmet need to enforce proper use of turn signals because unclear and unnecessary signaling puts the driver at risk of causing an accident. Moreover, overuse of the horn results in other drivers ignoring it as a signaling method of driver intent.
Concentration is the basis of a good driving and although it is an essential duty, but neglected in most times. Mental concentration while driving will guarantee noticing the finest details on the road that give you a big clue of what is going to happen. Neglecting that will lead to an undesired result. There is an unmet need for real-time alert monitoring of the vehicle driver.
A good driver makes his vehicle run smoothly and naturally, with the road including crossroads curves etc. as if he is reacting to his environment automatically. In fact, continuous concentration and thinking are the only ones leading to mastering driving.
Drivers should leave enough space between their vehicle and the others in front and on the sides. Accidents only happen because of badly assessed situations regarding assured clear distances.
Getting the driving license at an early age does not mean you drive well. Many of those who get a driving license early think they are free and do not abide the speed limit. In addition, preparation at driving school, although not comprehensive and short, does not take into consideration the necessity to inform students to abide to traffic laws such as speed limit and using seatbelts.
Many young people could consider abiding to traffic laws a kind of binding of their personal right and a pressure. Thus, we find that they are showing off proud to violate them, especially when it comes to stopping at stop signs, slowing down at the pedestrian paths, illegal passing, excess speed outside and inside the city, especially with the new cars that satisfy them in this issue.
Everyone is aware that traffic accidents are not a specific problem in a country but not in the other, it is a global problem that all organizations took interest in. it reached all groups in a community and harms the public interest more than the private ones. Its negative effects are represented in the painful human tragedies resulting from it, as for deaths and injuries that some turn into permanent handicaps, causing social threats that reach the individual and family, in addition to the financial losses which threaten the economic resources of all countries. Traffic accidents are the first reason for deaths according to the yearly global statistics reports. One could say that order comes to create a scientific global program supported by legislations and laws to insure its execution through real strategic plans that go together with, plans guaranteeing preserving lives and properties.
Thus, a traffic safety system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.